Reflective teaching practice

Reflections on assessmentsIn addition to what faculty members learn about student knowledge through assessment, they also learn about the effectiveness of their own teaching. If faculty begin by planning a course around what they want students to know and be able to do through development of student learning outcomes, then by reflecting on the gap between what we want students to know and how they do on assessments we can learn more about our teaching.

Lessons from gapsIf there are a few questions that large numbers of students miss, there may be a problem with the question, the way it was worded, confusing directions, or fuzzy teaching of the concept at fault. If student presentations are of low quality, there may be a need for an example to set the bar higher, clearer directions, or a rubric that describes characteristics of an excellent, average, and unacceptable presentation. If common misconceptions appear in student responses, the instruction may have lacked clarity or focus. If many students do poorly on an experiment, there may be a lack of alignment between instruction, practice and the assessment activities. Whatever the problems that students have, by systematically reflecting on an analysis of the assessments faculty members have the potential to become better instructors.

Systematic means of reflectionThere are many ways to accomplish a systematic review of assessment results. They are variously called action research, practitioner led inquiry, lesson study, teaching as research, among others. Seek out methods that work for you, and use the opportunity to analyze student learning data to improve your instruction.

Rationale for Reflection on Practice

Reflective Teaching Practice, Student Outcomes, and Institutional EffectivenessSpoehr, K.T. (January, 2008). Originally a 2007 lecture at the Sheridan Teaching Seminar, The Teaching Exchange, Vol. 12, No. 2. Brown UniversityThere are many styles of reflective teaching practice, but the principles underlying reflective teaching answer many of the criticisms leveled at American higher education, as asserted in this article.

Conduct Assessments of Learning and TeachingDesign and teach a course website, Carnegie Mellon UniversityThis site provides an overview of how evaluating student learning, encouraging students to self-assess, and assessing your teaching as complementary and overlapping activities benefits both the quality of student learning and the professional development of the instructor. Multiple links offer a wealth of techniques and tools.

Reflective Teaching Practice in Adult ESL SettingsFlorez, M.C. (2001). National Center for ESL Literacy Education, Center for Adult English Language AcquisitionThis site dedicated to the professional development of instructors in ESL settings reviews the foundations of reflective practice, the process, benefits, and references.